First of all, 新年快乐, happy New Year to all!
This is certainly turning out to be a special Spring Festival. On Friday 24 January, the Wudang Mountain Authority decided to close the mountain, suspending bus service until further notice. It was the last day of the old lunar year, so most people were already elsewhere. The Spring Festival is the time of year when everyone in China visits friends and family for many a sumptuous meal, which families have been preparing for the last week or even longer. Fridges and pantries are well stocked.
Of course this means an inconvenience for many, not being able to travel. On the other hand, it also allows those who work far from home to spend more time with their spouse and children. In some cases it even means a father can be home for the birth of his child, where he would otherwise have had to go back to work on the other side of the country. In other words, there is good and bad, the unwelcome as well as the welcome in any situation. The current one is no exception. We simply try and be like water, flow with the circumstances: such is the Taoist attitude.
The town has been closed, just like the mountain, which means no cars are allowed in or out. The weather is another reason to stay indoors: cold, grey and rainy. Essentially, what we notice here in Wudang from the corona virus outbreak is really only the consequences of the authorities’ preventative measures to keep people healthy.
Master Gu and his only student at the moment, Eli from the Netherlands, remain downtown with Master Gu’s family. We are healthy, we have food and good company, wine and music, and once the weather clears up, a great adventure ahead: walking up the mountain!
The outlook is optimistic; the situation is expected to be resolved within a few weeks. For students who are preparing to come to the WTWA in February, please stay informed about the air traffic situation. Check with your airline and of course we will stay in touch.
Wet, empty streets outside: warm families and food inside